Conservative Daily News » Mark Daytonhttp://www.conservativedailynews.com
The best conservative political news, analysis and opinion articles written by a collection of citizen journalists. Covering a range of important topics in blogs, op-ed, and news posts, these upstanding patriots are bringing back American exceptionalism with every entry..Sat, 28 Mar 2015 13:35:43 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Minnesota Legislature Passes Childcare Unionization Billhttp://www.conservativedailynews.com/2013/05/minnesota-legislature-passes-childcare-unionization-bill/
http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2013/05/minnesota-legislature-passes-childcare-unionization-bill/#commentsFri, 17 May 2013 15:38:00 +0000http://www.conservativedailynews.com/?p=89769

Rep. Kathy Lohmer-R, Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Minnesota continues to go in the wrong direction politically, it’s latest disastrous endeavor was to force the unionization of child-care and adult-care workers. Governor Mark Dayton is expected to sign the bill that passed through the Senate with a 35-32 majority.

The Pioneer Press’s “Political Animal” online publication was almost gleeful in it’s reportage of the passage of the bill. In the lead, author Megan Boldt writes,

“After a marathon overnight debate that lasted almost 17 hours, the Minnesota Senate approved a bill that would allow (emphasis mine) child care providers and personal-care attendants to bargain collectively with the state.”

Boldt continues her article mentioning that the bill Dayton signed into law was passed with a 35-32 majority and proceeds to throw four Democrats under the bus that had the good sense and judgment to join Republicans and vote against the lame law. You can read Boldt’s complete article here.

Proponents of the new law say that it will increase access for people seeking childcare and adult in-home health care, and improve working conditions and pay for those who provide such care. Like most Liberal-Progressive brain-children, it will in fact do the exact opposite of what it says, while at the same time increase the money flowing to Liberal union bosses in the state who will continue to use that money to crush political voices of opposition.

Republican Senator Sean Nienow of Cambridge properly described the law in his comments to the Pioneer Press.

Sen. Sean Nienow-R, Cambridge, doing what many DFLers won’t or can’t do – read the bill!

“It receives the dirty diaper award. Few bills stink this bad and I think many members will have to hold their noses to vote for it,” -Nienow

I could go on and on about how bad this bill is for Minnesota, but Republican Senator Kathy Lohmer of Lake Elmo is much more eloquent than I can be. In her guest column in the Stillwater Gazette she writes,

“Many problematic bills have been moving through the legislature during this session.

“Among the very worst proposals that the DFL-controlled House is considering is the unionization of in-home private childcare providers. This legislation represents an unprecedented power-grab by AFSCME and their allies to unionize small business owners.”

Problematic? What an understatement! In her jam-packed, pithy article, it’s hard to pick one paragraph that stands out over the others in her description of how very bad this law will be. I recommend you read the whole thing. Here however, is what I believe the nut-graph of Lohmer’s comments as they appear in the middle of the story.

Lohmer writes,

“Unionizing childcare providers will also lower the quality of childcare. Through the requirement of paying union dues, taxpayer dollars meant for quality childcare programs will be redirected to union bank accounts and political campaign activities. Many providers are concerned that the deduction of dues would require them to stop accepting childcare assistance families or to make drastic cuts to their childcare programs — reducing the quality of care.”

Lohmer and Nienow are correct in their assessments of this new law. Liberals in the state continue to blast bad law through the houses of legislature aimed at doing good, but in their naiveté they continue to harm small business owners and the middle class. At the same time they continue to support their one funding source that keeps them in power election after election, the powerhouse liberal labor unions.

Minnesotans need to come to their senses and do what Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker did recently, and that is to become a right to work state and end the tyrannous power grab of corrupt unions.

Update: The Childcare Unionization Bill passed the Senate earlier this week. Now it goes to the House for discussion and a vote. The Minnesota Chapter of Americans For Prosperity are encouraging people to go to the capitol and show their opposition. Call your House Representative and make yourself heard. Saturday is a big day.

]]>http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2012/10/minnesota-governor-mark-dayton-awarded-an-f-for-fiscal-policy-by-cato/feed/0Minnesota Governor Vetoes Castle Law Reform Billhttp://www.conservativedailynews.com/2012/03/minnesota-governor-vetoes-castle-law-reform-bill/
http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2012/03/minnesota-governor-vetoes-castle-law-reform-bill/#commentsTue, 06 Mar 2012 03:56:16 +0000http://conservativedailynews.com/?p=42533Most states in the Union have a “Castle Law” which grants citizens the right to defend themselves with firearms in the case that an unlawful intruder enters their home. Minnesota is no different. But when the state legislature voted to for a bill to strengthen those rights in favor of the homeowner, Governor Mark Dayton thought it was a bad idea and vetoed it.

The bill in question, HF 1467, would have given a resident significantly more latitude in the authorization of deadly force in the home as well as protection from unreasonable prosecution. The bill passed both houses, which is currently controlled by the GOP majority, but the vote count was insufficient to over-ride the Governor’s veto.

Governor Dayton explained his reasoning for the veto in a public letter issued to the Speaker of the House and published today. He said he was influenced by the majority of local law enforcement officials who expressed misgivings about the potential consequences should the bill have passed into law.

“The MN Police and Peace Officers Association, the MN Chiefs of Police, and the MN Sheriff’s Association represent the men and women who risk their lives every day and night to protect the rest of us,” the Governor’s letter said. “When they strongly oppose a measure, because they believe it will increase the dangers to them in the performance of their duties, I cannot support it.”

In addition to strengthening the homeowners rights, the bill would have recognized the carry and conceal permits from other states that issue them. Currently Minnesota accepts only a select number of permit types from states with similar permitting requirements.

Dayton’s letter acknowledged that he believed in the current state Supreme Court rulings that a homeowner in Minnesota is not required to retreat when faced with a threat in the home, but said that the bill presented went too far in giving the homeowner the benefit of doubt when faced with such a situation.

“Thus it appears clear to me that the existing Minnesota Statutes and law already provide the authorizations for law-abiding citizens to use deadly force to defend themselves or others either inside or outside of their homes, so long as that deadly force constitutes ‘reasonable force’.” The letter states.

“HF 1467,” the letter reads, “does go beyond current law by stating that an individual using deadly force would be presumed to possess a reasonable belief that there exists an imminent threat of substantial bodily harm, great bodily harm, or death to the individual or person. . .”

“That change from the current standard seems, to me, ill-advised.”

A story published today by MPRNews quotes State Senator Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergus, who was the author of the bill.

Says Hoffman, “I am very disappointed with Governor Dayton’s decision today to deny law-abiding citizens their right to defend themselves and their families. While current law enables the aggressor, my bill focused on protecting the victim.

“Unfortunately, with the Governor’s veto, violent criminals will continue to have the advantage over law-abiding citizens,” said Senator Hoffman. “I was hopeful, because Governor Dayton made such a strong statement on the campaign trail about Minnesotan’s right to bear arms and use them for lawful purposes such as self-defense, that he would follow through with his actions and sign this bill to enhance public safety.”

Executive Director of the NRA, Chris Cox, expressed disappointment in the Governor’s veto. In a public statement he expressed his concern that under current law, lawfully owned guns could be confiscated in the event of a state-wide emergency. An article in the bill would have prevented that from happening, Cox said.

An opponent of the bill expressed her relief in the Governor’s decision to veto.

Joan Peterson, Protect Minnesota board member and member of the Brady Campaign Board made the following statement.

“This bill could give the claim of self-defense to any domestic abuser engaged in a dispute with a partner or spouse. When only two people are involved in a dispute and one of them winds up dead, who is left to disprove the claim of the shooter that s/he was the one threatened? As someone whose sister was shot to death in a domestic case in Minneapolis, I am grateful that Governor Dayton vetoed this bill that could have allowed domestic abusers to get away with murder.”